From the Principal

Anne Hastings – Principal

This is the last time this year that you will receive a Ma Nishma to pour over that describes the amazing events and learning activities that add to the rich fabric of what is Emanuel School each week. These last weeks provide the opportunities for displays of the children’s learning, farewell concerts and celebrations of the year’s achievements, as well as to reflect on the year and look towards next year’s goals. So many people have contributed to the myriad of aspects of our students’ growth over the year and I sincerely thank each one who has given their time and energy so generously to help support the development of our students and the School. I hope to see you all at the various Prize Presentations next week.

ICT Showcase

This week saw our very first Technology Showcase in which our students – young and ‘old’ – demonstrated the results of their involvement in Coding and ICT clubs this year in the Primary School, and IST (Information and Software Technologies) classes and ICT club in the High School. It was thrilling to witness the students’ enthusiasm and confidence as they described their projects. Girls and boys described the outcomes of their thinking and deliberations as they created their robots, apps and games. Hannah Beder, from the class of 2012, described her journey into ICT and her experiences working at Google (see her inspiring speech elsewhere in this Ma Nishma), and Ethan Cohen, from the class of 2017, talked about his ICT involvement and the ICT HSC course he finished this year through TAFE, in which he designed and created a virtual reality experience to mimic that of a schizophrenic experience. Another account of the showcase appears in this Ma Nishma for further reading.

Our great appreciation goes to the teachers who have been encouraging students in these clubs and subjects during the year: Emma Hill, Tracey Walker, Corey Jamieson, Hugo Adrian and Ryan Chadwick, along with Emma Clemens who spearheaded the showcase. We also thank our ICT department for their significant support of such initiatives.

Three-way learning conversations

Years 8 and 9 had the benefit this week of this initiative – they spent time with their teachers and parents talking about their learning this year and showing some examples of their learning products, particularly the items that were significant markers for them. From discussions with parents and teachers, these afternoons provided wonderful opportunities for reflection and for the students to take ownership of their learning. Many parents expressed that they were impressed by the way in which their son or daughter managed the discussion and showed real insight into some of their significant learning milestones this year. I thank all of the teachers for their support of the students in this initiative, and the parents and students for their active involvement and interest in the students’ learning.

P&F

This week I was very grateful to receive a cheque for $27 000 from the P&F as a result of their fund-raising this year. What a wonderful support the P&F are to our School! We thank each member of the Executive Committee who has been part of the organisation of the many P&F events this year – from Mothers’ and Fathers’ Days, through the Staff Welcome lunch, to the Purim disco, Aladdin and the Trivia Night extravaganza – each of these has been wonderful opportunities for our students and parents to connect and be part of our community. The fund-raising is of great benefit to the School, providing the opportunity for the provision of additional facilities and items that will be impactful for the students. In particular, we acknowledge the significant input of Susie Rosen and Sharon Schulz in being superb Co-Presidents for the past six years and guiding the success of the many P&F activities. As well we welcome Ruby Berkovic and Jennifer Opit as the new Co-Presidents from 2017.

Scholarships 2018

Please be aware that applications for the 2018 Years 7, 9 and 11 Academic and Music scholarships are currently open and will close on 6 February 2017. The advertisement elsewhere in this Ma Nishma provides more details.

High School Speech Night

Emanuel School’s High School Speech Night will be held at The University of New South Wales on Wednesday 14 December at 7pm. 

• Parents and students should enter the Sir Clancy Auditorium via Gate 9 High Street, Kensington
• All students are required to attend in their full formal uniform, including blazers and ties. Note: black shoe polish does wonders for school shoes, and also that the venue is air conditioned.
• Organise with your Tutor where to meet on the night – students should arrive by 6.30 pm for roll call.
• Students are to sit in the allocated House areas of the Auditorium.

Mazal tov to:

• All the students and teachers who participated in the MS Swim-a-thon last weekend (see the article elsewhere in this Ma Nishma)
• The Year 6 girls who have celebrated their Bat Mitzvah in 2016, for donating $1000s to some excellent charities through The Mitzvah Project, including Starlight Foundation, Make a Wish Foundation, Alzheimers Australia, RSPCA, Voiceless and several hospitals
• The four Emanuel students who qualified as Life Savers last weekend: Cooper Levitt, Nathaniel Spielman, Beau Glass, and Samara Trenaman (photo below)
• Sara Ehrlich, whose HSC artwork has been selected to be exhibited for 12 months in the 2017 NSW Education Standards Authority Chairperson’s Collection. What a fantastic achievement Sara! Only 19 works from across the state were personally selected by the President for this exhibition. Both Sara’s name and the School’s name will appear with her work.
• Our Year 6 Chess players, Daniel Melamed, Jesse Herdan, Zac Sidley and Jesse Gothelf for their wonderful achievement of being NSW Chess Champions and fourth in Australia!

Coming up

• High School Speech Night, Wednesday 14 December, 7 pm, Clancy Auditorium
• Last school day of 2016, Wednesday 14 December. High School students finish school at 1:10 pm, Primary School students finish at 3:30 pm
• HSC results are released Thursday 15 December, with ATARs out on Friday 16 December
• Year 7, 2017, Orientation Day will be held on Monday 30 January
• Years 1 – 12 students will start the year on Tuesday 31 January (8:20 am start)
• Summer uniforms and hats are to the ready for the start of Term 1 2017.

Quote of the week

‘Holidays are about experiences and people, and tuning into what you feel like doing at that moment. Enjoy not having to look at a watch.’ [Evelyn Glennie]

Best wishes for a relaxing holiday with your children.

Cooper Levitt, Nate Spielman, Beau Glass and Samara Trenaman

From the Primary School

Natanya Milner – Head of Primary

Another successful year and some farewells

At this time of year, I am filled with gratitude to everyone who has assisted in the success of 2016. I am so grateful to the Emanuel staff for their commitment over the year, as well as to the children for their outstanding efforts and energy. A special mention goes to Year 6 who have been outstanding leaders of the Primary School throughout 2016. I am also thankful to our parent body and community for their ongoing support of us. The coming week is filled with celebrations such as today’s Year 6 Pathways and the upcoming Presentation events, picnics and talent shows. I look forward to sharing the end of the year and celebrating with you all.

A special thank you to the people who will be leaving the Primary School at the end of this year. It has been wonderful to work with these special people and we have been so grateful for their dedication and many contributions over the years.

Corey Jamieson

Corey began at Emanuel School in 2012 and thought he would stay for a short stint while he was visiting from Spain. We have been thrilled that this ‘short stint’ grew into the 4 years that we have been lucky enough to enjoy. Corey has been a wonderful Year 5 teacher and has developed and innovated within the Year 5 curriculum. He has been involved in a number of extra-curricular activities including Lego Robotics and has led teachers through various Cultures of Thinking projects. Corey sees himself as a learner and has been involved in studies relating to gifted education and Science inquiry. I would like to thank Corey for his many contributions and wish him all the very best as he returns to Spain.

Emma Buzo

Emma first joined Emanuel as a Primary School Drama teacher in a maternity leave position in 2014. Whilst the maternity role came to an end, we did not want to let Emma go. This year she has been an outstanding Kindergarten teacher and has brought her passion and energy to all that she has done. She has a beautiful rapport with the children and a creative and fun spirit. Emma’s phenomenal contributions to our Primary musicals are so valued and appreciated. I wish her every success as she moves to the role of Head of Drama at another school. This is much deserved acknowledgment of her skills and expertise. We will miss her.

Jodi Cohen

Jodi started teaching at Emanuel in 2015 when she joined the Hebrew department. She has been a valued member of the team who has worked with various groups of children across the different year levels. Jodi has become well known for her organisation and we have appreciated her work within the Hebrew Department as well as with our puppet club. We wish Jodi all the very best for the future.

Megan Best

Megan taught Year 6 at Emanuel this year. She has been a wonderful asset to the School, having been an excellent Year 6 teacher as well as leading various peer support programs over the year. We have appreciated the fresh ideas and new perspectives that she has brought to the team. I would like to thank Megan for her thoroughness and diligence and wish her every success at her new school.

Desray Maltz

Desray has been working as a part-time teacher’s aide at Emanuel this year. She has been an outstanding addition to the team and as a teacher we have been lucky to benefit from her knowledge and expertise in the aide role. She has been an amazing support to the teachers and the children and we are grateful to her for assisting us. We look forward to Carol Lee returning to full time work next year and wish Desray every success at a teaching role at Masada.

Events this week

This week has been filled with wonderful events including our final Gymnastics display, the Year 6 fete, the Innovation Showcase and the Year 6 Pathways and Graduation Ceremony.

Thank you to Sharon Fairfax for her commitment to the gymnastics team over the year and for co-ordinating this final celebration of 2016. Please see her report in this Ma Nishma.

This week’s Year 6 Fete was a resounding success. The children organised fantastic stalls filled with fun and activity. They went to a huge effort to create engaging ideas and organised an excellent and enticing assortment of prizes. The fete raised over $3000 and I look forward to hearing the ideas for items to purchase from the students. Thank you to the Year 6 teachers, Megan Best, Diane Clennar, Anna Economou and Karon Rom for working with the students to make this day such a success.

The inaugural Innovation Showcase has been a collaborative effort that has brought together all the innovation-related extra-curricular activities on campus into one celebration and showcase. Please see the report specifically on this event for details. Thanks to the teachers involved including Emma Hill, Tracey Walker, Corey Jamieson, Hugo Adrian and Ryan Chadwick and also thanks to Emma Clemens for her huge effort, dedication and commitment to co-ordinating this event for our students and our community.

I am looking so forward to today’s Year 6 Pathways and Graduation Ceremony. It is always such a special opportunity to celebrate the end of Primary School with such a meaningful event. Thank you to Adam Carpenter, Rebecca Gaida and Lisa Weisner for organising the event.

As there will not be a Ma Nishma next week, I also wanted to add some thank you for the events that are yet to happen:

Our K-2 Presentation Day and 3-6 Presentation Evening require huge amounts of planning and preparation. Thank you to the teachers and the Music Department but especially Holly Dillon, who manages every tiny detail of these events to ensure that they are a success. Thank you, Holly.

The SRC has organised our Emanuel’s Got Talent quest for the final day of school. Julia Tritsch and Jennifer Udovich have been incredible supports as the staff leading the SRC and Julia in particular has worked tirelessly to make this talent event happen. Thank you, Julia.

Chess

We have welcomed our chess team back from the National competition in Perth. They represented both New South Wales and Emanuel School as they played each of the other states and territories in the competition. We are thrilled that our boys made it to this level and came overall fourth in the country. A huge mazal tov to Jesse Gothelf, Jesse Herdan, Daniel Melamed and Zac Sidley. Thank you to Colleen Elkins for accompanying the team to Perth and for being so devoted to the children throughout the entire chess competition. Thanks also to thank Michael Todd for being such a phenomenal coach for our team.

After school care

Bookings are now open for Emanuel OOSH (After School Care). Places are limited so if you are wishing to book for next year, please follow this link: https://myportal.emanuelschool.nsw.edu.au/parent/after-school-care/ or visit the website on:

www.emanueloosh.net.au The username and password for the login section is:

username: parent

password: Emanuel2031

Upcoming Dates

• 12 December: Year 6 Gratitude Day, Homebush Aquatic Centre
• 13 December: Years K-2 Presentation Day, 9:00-11:00 am MPH
• 13 December: Years 3-6 Presentation Evening, 6:00 pm MPH
• 14 December: Primary School Picnic Day at Centennial Park and Emanuel’s Got Talent Quest
• 30 January 2017: Year 7 Orientation Day
• 31 January 2017: First Day Years 1-12, Primary Lice Check
• 1 February 2017: First Day Year K

Ma Koreh – Year 6 Pathways

A special day

Year 6 students and their families gather to celebrate Shabbat and their graduation from Primary School

Pathways ceremonies in the Primary School provide touchpoints and memorable moments for students, parents and families to acknowledge and celebrate milestones in the Jewish learning journey of our students. In Year K, we welcome students to the School with a personalised hamsa made by their parents. In Year 2, parents write a special berakhah for their child which is placed in their child’s siddur. In Year 4, students receive a Tanakh, personalised with family history, stories, photos and messages. Parents, families and siblings are invited to attend the Torah Service or Kabbalat Shabbat celebrations, which are followed by a Pathways ceremony that involves parents and their children. Year 6 Pathways includes a Graduation ceremony for our students as they farewell life in Primary School and look ahead to their High School journey.

At the Year 6 Pathways, students lead their families in the Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat prayers from a customised siddur that contains their own commentaries, reflections and creative responses to the prayers in the siddur. Students spent their time in Jewish Studies researching the siddur, its prayers and learning to read and sing its words. The siddur reflects the students’ pathway through their Jewish Education at Emanuel School, where they learnt to distinguish an aleph from a bet, hear the stories of our Torah, analyse the ethical implications of our tradition and learn the skills and knowledge to become future leaders of the Jewish people.

Our Pathways celebration today began with a delicious, catered lunch that provided students and their families a time to eat together and socialise with friends. Following lunch, students led the Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat prayers from their siddur, singing with great ruach (spirit) prayers and songs, such as Lekha Dodi and Adon Olam. The Graduation ceremony consisted of speeches by Head of Primary, Natanya Milner and Head of Jewish Life, Rabbi Siegel. Daniel Knoll spoke on behalf of the parents and Head Madrichim, Lily Berger and Myles Cohn, spoke on behalf of the students, thanking their parents and teachers for the wonderful opportunities and experiences they have had at Emanuel School. The students were each presented with a Graduation Certificate and their beautiful YearBook, which along with the Pathways siddur provide special mementos and memories of Year 6 at Emanuel School in 2016.

Thank you to all the staff involved in Pathways and for the parents, grandparents and family members who were part of the Pathways celebrations.

Mazal Tov to our Year 6 graduating students!

Adam Carpenter

Head of Jewish Life K-6

Annual Gymnastics Display

Sharon Fairfax – Gymnastics Co-ordinator

A wonderful morning filled with nachas

Our annual Gymnastics display, presentation and breakfast was a fun-filled morning with smiling and happy gymnasts. It is a wonderful way to finish off the year in which our children and parents committed themselves to four terms of early starts.

We thank everyone involved for their dedication and enthusiasm throughout the year.

The benefits of gymnastics in key developmental areas such as self confidence, co-ordination, flexibility, social skills, discipline, fitness and determination help children to become better students and young adults.

Major Mens Artistic Gymnastics and Womens Artistic Gymnastics awards for 2016 went to Julian Baruch, Josh Gordon, Leah Grunseit and Mirelle Lazerson.

Our Rising Stars 2016 awards went to Zara Gorelik and Devan Bloch.

All our gymnasts contribute enormously to the program’s success.

Mazal tov to the students and their parents.

From the Primary Library

Ginnette Cameron-Garrner – Primary Teacher/Librarian

On a quest 

Quest series are very popular with our young readers. Two excellent examples are the three Deltora Quest series by Emily Rodda and the Impossible Quest by Kate Forsyth. 

Deltora Quest 1

This series tells the story of three companions – Leif, Barda and Jasmine – who are on a perilous quest to find the 7 lost gems of the Belt of Deltora. Only when the Belt is complete will the evil Shadow Lord and his rule of tyranny be overcome. This best-selling series of 8 books is set in the fantasy world of Deltora, a sprawling kingdom of magic and monsters, bordered by the sea and a vast, curving mountain range, beyond which is an unknown territory called the Shadowlands. An appealing aspect of these books is the series of brainteasers, puzzles, clues and mysteries that the adventurers must solve to fulfill the quest. 

Deltora Quest 2: Deltora Shadowlands 

The Shadow Lord’s evil tyranny over Deltora has ended. But, thousands of Deltorans are still enslaved in the Shadowlands, the Enemy’s terrifying and mysterious domain. To rescue them, the 3 companions from the original Deltora Quest – Leif, Barda and Jasmine – must find a weapon powerful enough to combat the Shadow Lord’s magic on his own ground. According to legend, the only thing the Shadow Lord fears is the Pirran Pipe. But does it still exist? If it does, will its ancient magic still prevail against the Enemy’s sorcery?  Filled with doubts, the companions move on, knowing that whatever happens, their quest will end in the darkness and horror of the Shadowlands itself. 

Deltora 3: Dragons of Deltora

The evil Shadow Lord has been banished, but famine still stalks Deltora and only monsters thrive. As the starving population weakens, Lief, Jasmine and Barda discover a terrible secret. The Enemy left the seeds of death behind him. Four vile creations of sorcery called the Four Sisters are hidden in the land. They are slowly killing it while the Shadow Lord gloats, awaiting his triumphant return.

The Impossible Quest series by Kate Forsyth set in the land of Farhaven

Four children are set the task of awakening the legendary sleeping warriors.

Book 1: Escape from Wolfhaven Castle

Wolfhaven Castle has been attacked. Four escape capture – Tom a kitchen boy, Sebastian a knight in training, Quinn the witch/herbalist in training and Elanor the Lord’s daughter. They need to find four magical beasts and wake the sleeping warriors from the past to come and free their land.

Book 2: Wolves of Witchwood

Book 3: The Beast of Blackmoor Bog

Book 4: The Drowned Kingdom

Book 5: The battle of the Heroes

Public Libraries

If you have not already joined your local Public Library, then please consider doing so. There are wonderful resources there for you and the Children’s Librarian can advise on books to read. They have regular Children’s activities which are free but due to safety considerations group numbers are restricted. For many of the programs, bookings are essential.

They also have many special activities during the upcoming school holidays, some free or very low cost.
These include:

• Paint your own superhero logo at Double Bay Public Library
• Superhero and Supervillain painting workshops with Matthew Lin at Woollahra Library.

Check out their websites and register your children registered as soon as the activities appear as places are limited. 

http://www.woollahra.nsw.gov.au/library/whats_on/school_holidays

www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/community/whats-on

Primary Chess

Chess success

Left to right: Jesse Gothelf, Daniel Melamed, Jesse Herdan and Zac Sidley

Our Emanuel Primary A Chess Team travelled to Perth on Friday 2 December to represent NSW in the National Schools’ Competition over the weekend.

The team played very well against the other states and came fourth in the competition.

The players, Daniel Melamed, Jesse Herdan, Zac Sidley and Jesse Gothelf are to be congratulated on their dedication to chess this year. They started the season in Week 3 of Term 1 and attended practice and extra training sessions, as well as external competitions, for the duration of the year.

This is first time that Emanuel School has performed at such an high level. They had a gruelling journey, which consisted of 10 rounds in Term 2, followed by knock-out rounds throughout Term 3 and 4 to determine the NSW champions.

Mazal tov to the boys – we are so very proud of you. A huge thank you to Michael Todd whose inspirational coaching and passion for the game created a perfect recipe for this success.

Thank you to the parents for their continued support throughout the nail-biting season, as well as the state competition. Thank you, also, to Natanya Milner for become an impassioned chess follower and for sending us all to Perth.

Colleen Elkins, Primary Teacher

Vivid Emanuel 2016

Creative Science

Year 6 Rehovot and Year 6 Yad Mordechai conducted their own Vivid Emanuel event on Friday. As part of their Science program, students were asked to apply what they had learnt about light and shadow to design and create a presentation. The scope of creativity was impressive. Students voted for their their peers in various categories. 

Most Creative: Samuel Milner; Most Entertaining: Idan Peer; Most Scientific: Noah Dawson Kelly; Most deLIGHTful: Gabrielle Utian; Most Complex: Ben (BJ) Shapiro; Best Presented: Joshua Hirst; Best on Show: Isabella Filipcyzk; Commended: Nathalie Freed, Benjamin Dyce and Benjamin Zwarenstein.

Dianne Cleaner – Primary Teacher

ICT Showcase – Hannah Beder

Hannah Beder’s speech at the ICT Showcase

Hi everyone, my name is Hannah and I graduated four years ago. For most of my time at school I thought I wanted to be an architect. I thought I would like it because I liked Maths, Design and History. As I went through school, my subjects and my interests became more diverse, and I become more confused. How was I meant to choose what to do after school if I liked so many things, and they all seemed to point in different directions?

When I started university, a friend who had always been interested in computing suggested I try to take a subject with them. I laughed – how was I meant to compare? They had been doing computing since Primary School. I didn’t even like computers! But what I found was crazy! It didn’t even feel like learning. We solved puzzles and mysteries, we cracked codes and played games. It didn’t matter how good my friend was, before I knew it we were working together on our assignments.

It all made sense from there. I knew I had found the right degree. I became more confident and knowledgeable and felt like I was learning things that matter. Before I knew it, I was applying for summer jobs and I received an offer from Google! I worked all summer two years ago and just came back from America a few weeks ago, where I spent three months working for them again. I never dreamed I’d be working for Google! I never thought I’d be in charge of projects in Google, Chrome or Google Cloud Platform, contributing to a company whose products I use every day. They treated me like a real employee and the work I did is “in production”, which is what software engineers call, “the real world”.

Google was everything it’s cracked up to be and more – whether it was a software engineer, a chef, a receptionist or a manager – everyone is friendly and fun. Everybody wants to hear about what you’ve been working on, how you’re doing, and what you’ve learned recently. I was stoked to be a part of it.

To everyone here I’d like to say: the Google’s of the world are not far away. I knew a lot less about computing in Primary School than anyone here and the work I’ve seen at this show is phenomenal. If you’re still not sure if this is for you, just remember there are so many different parts of computing you might not know you like yet. Do you like board games like checkers, connect 4 and chess? Do you like drawing or painting? Are you good at knitting, origami or music? Or reading maps or braiding hair? All of these things and more could help you unfold your passion for computing and help you find cool problems to solve, even if you already think you know what you what to be when you grow up.

Year 6 Fun Day Thank You

Thank you for your support of the Year 6 Fun Day.

We raised $3015.80!

The money will go to buy a gift for the Primary School from Year 6 2016.

From the Head of Jewish Life

Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

Playing favourites

I’d like to share with you interesting questions from my Devar Torah that I delivered to the students.

In last week’s assembly, if you remember, we conducted a poll. I asked which of you, who had siblings, thought you were a favourite of at least one of your parents.

I then asked:

“Which of you like being a favourite?”

“Which of you thought it was good to be a favourite?”

And, “which of you thought it was good for your parents to play favourites?”

Then, for the few who remained standing, I asked: “Do you believe you will play favourites with your children?”

Today, I have a different question to ask you.

If you believe in God, please rise.

If you believe in yourself, please rise.

Some argue you can’t believe in God unless you believe in yourself. While others argue you can’t believe in yourself once you believe in God.

This week’s parashah, VaYetse, addresses this question. The siblings יעקב (Jacob) and עישו (Esau) leave home and each other after the playing of favourites by their parents causes them too much friction to bear.

Setting out on his own path, we read that יעקב experiences God. The text relates this in a strange way:

“And יעקב woke from his sleep and said surely God is present and I didn’t know”.

Since the text literally says: “Surely God is present and I, I didn’t know”, our tradition explains that it is until Jacob came to know himself he could not know God.

In trying to be like his brother עישו whom his father favoured he became a stranger to himself.

Now, as he starts his own journey and begins to know and believe in himself, he experiences God. 

From the Jewish perspective, to truly know and believe in yourself is to know and believe in God.

We are each, in our uniqueness, a manifestation of God.

So you cannot rise and say you believe in God unless you believe in yourself. And, if you declare you believe in yourself you are declaring you believe in God.

God doesn’t play favourites. For Judaism, as this week’s parashah tells us, you are God if you are yourself. 

Seussical DVD orders

Devar Torah from Beau Glass – Year 8

Beau Glass – Year 8

Lies and deception

This week’s Torah reading is Vayetze. In this parashah Jacob travels to his uncle Laban’s house in order to win Laban’s younger daughter Rachel’s hand in marriage. The parashah begins with Jacob dreaming of a ladder extending to heaven. During this dream God tells Jacob that he will always be protected and given strength. He is told that his children will spread across all of the lands and prosper, watched over by the strength of God.

When Jacob reaches the land of Laban he asks to marry Rachel. Laban states that in order to marry his daughter Jacob must work for him for 7 years. Jacob agrees to this and works for his uncle until he has completed the time. Laban, however, deceives Jacob and gives him his older daughter Leah, instead. Although Jacob is upset about his uncle’s trickery, he is told that he must work for another 7 years in order to marry his true love, Rachel. Jacob is determined and sure enough he works for his uncle another 7 years. Jacob is finally able to marry Rachel and he stays in the land of his uncle.

God, however, is angry with Jacob for making Leah feel hated and worthless. God ensures that Rachel remains barren and enables only Leah to bear children. Eventually, Leah has 6 sons and 1 daughter, while Leah’s servant Zilpah bears 2 sons, and Rachel’s servant Bilhah also bears 2 sons. Rachel however remains barren until God answers her prayers and she finally bears a son, Joseph.

God then tells Jacob to return to the land of his father, Canaan. Secretly Jacob leaves the house of Laban and sets off towards Canaan with his wives, children and possessions. Laban soon realises that Jacob has left and pursues him. When they meet, he and Jacob argue about why he left so suddenly. Eventually they make a pact that they shall no longer deceive one another with God as their witness.

As the School year comes to a close, how can we relate to this story? At the start of this year we all had to face new challenges, perhaps settling into Emanuel as a new student and making new friendships. Maybe you decided that you wanted to achieve certain academic or sport-related goals. No matter what our goals were we have persisted and we have been motivated by our teachers and peers to succeed just as Jacob was watched and strengthened by God on his quest to marry Rachel.

Indeed, at times you might have felt defeated, cheated, or even deceived like Jacob was, but you must understand that these issues and these bumps in the road are just another obstacle and just another task that you must overcome if you are to succeed. It is very possible that during this year you felt certain factors of a situation were beyond your control like when Rachel was unable to conceive due to God’s decision, or when Jacob had to work for another 7 years due to Laban’s dishonesty. Perhaps, the essay question was not what you had prepared for or you were injured days before the big basketball match. Remember that only you can ultimately control the outcome of the year and if you study and train you will achieve, if you are kind and selfless you will make true friendships. During the holidays review your year. Think about whether you achieved what you strived for at the beginning in Term 1. Discover your ability, and plan your goals for 2017. It’s a clean slate and a chance for everyone to succeed.

Whether you believe in the facticity of the stories of the Torah or not, what matters is that you take the messages from the story and bring them into your life. Like Jacob, if you work for what you believe in you will be able to achieve.

From the Head of Hebrew

We want nature in Tel Aviv!

Year 7 Hebrew students learnt about Tel Aviv and explored life in the vibrant, colourful and exciting cosmopolitan city, often described as The City that Doesn’t Sleep.

Along with its rich cultural life, cafes and restaurants, historic sites and beautiful expansive beaches, Tel Aviv has a lot to offer locals and tourists. Some local residents, though, are concerned about the urban development on the seashore of Tel Aviv. Students listened to an interview from three Tel Aviv residents by a journalist. They then wrote the journalist’s article.

Arielle Tracton – Year 7

״רוצים חוף ים – הים של כולם!״ זה הקול של האנשים בתל אביב.

בסוף השבוע אנשים בתל אביב מפגינים נגד בניה של מגדלים ובתי מלון חדשים קרוב לחוף הים. אתם יכולים לעשות הרבה דברים נגד כל הבניינים בתל אביב.

אם אתם רוצים לחיות עם טבע בתל אביב – בואו להפגנה עם אחרים. האנשים מדברים על הבעיות מהבניה של בתי מלון חדשים ומגדלים גבוהים קרוב לחוף. הם לא יודעים למה אנשים לא בונים בתי מלון ומגדלים רחוק מהים.

אלה הם שלושה אנשים מתל אביב בשם עמוס, חגית ויעל בהפגנה. הם נגד התוכנית לבנות קרוב לחוף הים. עמוס גר לא רחוק מהמקום של ההפגנה. הוא חושב שיש הרבה בניה ליד החוף בתל אביב. עמוס חושב שהנוף של חוף תל אביב חשוב מאוד לאנשים בתל אביב.

כמו עמוס, גם יעל חושבת שהחוף של כולם. היא חושבת שחוף הים לא רק לאנשים עשירים במגדלים, או של תיירים בבתי מלון. היא גם חושבת שהמגדלים ״סוגרים״ את האוויר מהים ואין להם אוויר.

חגית, מפגינה אחרת, רוצה להציע תוכנית לבנות מגדלים גבוהים ובתי מלון רחוק מהחוף. היא לא מבינה למה אנשים בונים עוד ועוד בתי מלון ומגדלים גבוהים ליד החוף, כי יש כבר הרבה בניינים ליד חוף הים בתל אביב.

הים של האנשים ולאנשים! האנשים בהפגנה רוצים את הנוף והטבע. ב-2020 יש מגדלים ובתי מלון על החוף?

אריאלה ארקטון – כיתה ז׳                                                                           Ariella Tracton – Year 7

Ruby Hurwitz

Lara Fosbery

Chloe Miller

מאמר

״רוצים חוף ים – הים של כולם!״ האנשים בתל אביב צריכים את החוף לכולם. הם מאוד לא רוצים מגדלים ובתי מלון. בחוף האנשים מפגינים!

עמוס, 24, משתתף בהפגנה כי הוא נגד התוכנית לבנות מגדלים גבוהים ובתי מלון קרוב לחוף. יש כבר הרבה בניינים ליד החוף. עמוס אומר, ״למה לבנות יותר?״.

חגית, 22, יודעת שיש גם תוכנית לבנות על החוף עוד בתי מלון. ״אני לא מבינה למה לא לבנות בתי מלון רחוק מהחוף?״, חגית אומרת, ״יש כל כך הרבה בתי מלון ליד החוף״.

יעל, 25, משתתפת כי היא יודעת ״החוף של כולם!״ יעל אומרת, ״הוא לא רק של האנשים העשירים במגדלים או של התיירים בבתי המלון!״ היא מבינה שיש עוד בעיה: ״מגדלים גבוהים מהים.״ הם ׳סוגרים׳ את האוויר.

״די לבנות – תנו לחיות!״ האנשים צריכים חוף לכולם! ״רוצים חוף ים – הים של כולם!״ הם לא רוצים מגדלים ובתי מלון! יש להם מספיק בעיות! מספיק לבנות מגדלים ובתי מלון! אנשים מפגינים!

לאה, רותי ואטה – כיתה ז׳

Ruby Hurwitz, Lara Fosbery and Chloe Miller – Year 7

בנייה ליד החוף

India Sacks

India Sacks – Year 7

״הים של כולם – לא של מגדלים!״ אלה המילים של אנשׁים של תל אביב. הרבה אנשׁים מפגינים נגד התוכניות לבנות מגדלים ובתי מלון בחוף.

תושב מקומי, עמוס, מפגין כי הוא לא רוצה מגדלים ובתי מלון גבוהים קרוב לחוף. בחוף יש כבר מספיק מגדלים ובתי מלון. עמוס רוצה להיות יכול לראות את החוף והנוף של הים.

יעל, אישה מקומית, אומרת ״החוף של כולם!״ לדעתה החוף לא רק של אנשׁים עם הרבה כסף. מה עם האנשים האחרים שאין להם כסף ורוצים לגור ליד החוף וגם הם רוצים לראות את הנוף של הים?

לחגית יש הצעה מעניינת: למה לא לבנות מגדלים ובתי מלון רחוק מהחוף? בחוף כבר יש הרבה מגדלים ובתי מלון.

אבל, בנייה של מגדלים ובתי מלון בחוף לא הכול לא טוב. כמה אנשׁים רוצים לבנות מגדלים כי יש יותר מקום לאנשׁים לגור בחוף. לבנות מגדלים נותן יותר מקום לבנות חנויות ומסעדות חדשות.

אנשׁים גם רוצים לבנות בתי מלון בחוף כי אז יש יותר מקום לתיירים לגור בתל אביב. יותר תיירים = יותר כסף!

התוכניות לבנות מגדלים ובתי מלון בחוף, טובות ולא טובות.

? מה אתה חושב

India Sacks’ article – translation:

“The beach is everyone’s – not just of towers!” These are the words of the people of Tel Aviv. Many people are protesting against the plans to build towers and hotels on the beach.

A local resident, Amos, is protesting. There are enough towers and hotels already. Amos wants to be able to see the beach and the sea.

Yael, a local, says: “The beach if for everyone!” In her opinion, the beach is not only for people with lots of money. What about those without much money who want to live near the beach and want to see the view of the sea?

Hagit has an interesting proposition: “Why not build towers and hotels but build them away from the beach? There are already many towers and hotels at the beach”.

But building towers and hotels on the beach is not all a bad thing. Some people want to build towers as this provides more people with the opportunity to live near the beach. More towers mean more restaurants and new stores.

Hotels allow more tourists to visit Tel Aviv. More tourists = more money!

The plan to build towers and hotels on the beach is good and not good. What do you think?  

Year 9 Hebrew

Lenny Levy-Vainer – Year 9

Year 10 and Year 9 accelerants learnt about the Judaic language – Ladino – a language originally spoken by the Jews of Spain. After their expulsion from Spain in 1492, Jews took their language with them to their new home countries and kept speaking it, with various local dialects, until today. Here is a sample of a similar article about Yiddish, another rich and vibrant Judaic language, written by Lenny Levy-Vainer of Year 9.

יידיש

בהתחלת המאה ה-10 יהודים מצרפת ומצפון איטליה עברו לגרמניה והצטרפו לקהילות הקטנות שכבר גרו שם. היהודים החדשים בקהילות האלה דיברו גרמנית אבל גם השתמשו במילים וביטויים מהשפה העברית. כך ״נולדה״ שפה יהודית – יידיש. יידיש נהייתה השפה הראשונה של יהודי מערב אירופה.

במאה ה-13. היהודים ברחו למזרח אירופה. לכן יידיש הגיעה למזרח גרמניה, פולין ועוד מדינות במזרח אירופה. ליידיש גם נכנסו מילים מהשפה הסלאבית. ליידיש הזאת קוראים יידיש מזרחית וליידיש בצרפת ובגרמניה קוראים יידיש מערבית.

כותבים יידיש באותיות עבריות. יש הרבה סיפורים, אגדות וספרי יהדות ביידיש.

בזמן ההשכלה במאה ה-19 היו הרבה ספרים, שירים ועיתונים ביידיש. שני יוצרים מהתקופה הזאת הם שלום עליכם ומנדלי מוכר ספרים.

בזמן ההשכלה יהודים מגרמניה התחילו ללכת לבתי ספר גרמניים, לא יהודיים, ושם הם דיברו גרמנית. כך הם לאט לאט הפסיקו לדבר יידיש.

מכיוון שמתוך ששת מיליון היהודים שמתו בשואה הרבה דיברו יידיש, והאנשים ששרדו את השואה עברו לארצות הברית ולמדו אנגלית או עברו לישראל ולמדו עברית, חשבו שהיידיש תמות.

היום, למרות מה שחשבו בעבר, היידיש עדיין קיימת. הדור של השואה והיתדים שלהם עדיין מדברים יידיש וגם החרדים בניו יורק ובישראל משתמשים בשפה. יש קורסים ליידיש בהרבה אוניברסיטאות בעולם. אז, האם היידיש בדרך למוזיאון?

Ruth Harvey, Head of Hebrew

Year 7 History

Elena Rosin – HSIE and Jewish Studies Teacher

Chinese dragons and family seals

Year 7 History has been studying Ancient China, learning about the various dynasties, everyday life, famous individuals such as Confucius and the importance of the military in this society.

After studying some of the royal seals, the students were asked to create their own family seals. They first investigated the meaning of their family names, then learned how to write them in Chinese. Some of the students could not find a translation for their names. Shane Doust, for example, was aware that his family had unsuccessfully tried to uncover the meaning of Doust, which is an old English word. Instead, Shane wrote Doust pnonetically in Chinese letters. Most of the students included the traditional Chinese dragon in their seals, although the Emanuel version of this creature was often friendly and gentle, like our students, rather than fierce and intimidating, like the ancient Chinese depictions. The students then presented their seals to their families at their Shabbat dinner, which added a lovely multicultural element to their weekly meal.

From the Head of Science

Jennifer Selinger – Head of Science

View From the Kleinleher Family Science Building

What do plastic cups, paddlepop sticks, mortar and pestles and rocks have in common? They are all featured in K20 nearby as Year 7 is having a lesson and I type up this article in the staffroom. I was seduced a few minutes ago to try my hand at the STEM challenge to build the tallest tower possible that would balance on a dice – mine went up two levels before I recalled that I had work to do. It is difficult to restrain myself from re-joining the class. Some students are talking to the teacher about something that caught their attention, some are discussing their work on the rock cycle with each other, or inventing words to describe the things they are doing, or planning their next move on their tower and groaning in despair as their construction succumbs to gravity. They are identifying rocks from a key (including using acid, which is causing much excitement), watching mini-videos to gather information and recording their findings in a number of different ways. This is what modern Science learning looks and sounds like!

Year 7 Science Class

The difference between Science learning as it was when I went to school and how it is now has been in my mind after a number of comments made during the 3-Way Conversations that I was a part of recently. Students discussed their learning, using two tasks that they had selected as the basis of their chat. A few parents finished the conversation off by commenting on how different things seemed from their own experience of Science. How true! I often look around the lab and marvel at the wonderful opportunities I can give my students.

They can watch, in real time, the hatching and development of eagle chicks on a ‘nest cam’. They can take an idea and spend a period, or a week, finding out everything the internet can tell them about say, colonising Mars or mitochondrial DNA. They can work more slowly than the rest of the class, with all the work on Reshet available all the time, so that they really understand the basic concepts and do not have to keep moving on before they are ready. There are videos to watch, interactive activities to try, practical tasks to be done. Learning is no longer passive – the students take an active role in what they are doing and their school world is all the richer for this.

It does make things harder, however. Where once it was enough to memorise all the parts of the body, or the first 20 elements on the Periodic Table, now with all the information they could want literally in their hands, the students are expected to go further. “Apply your knowledge of the human body to the question of organ donation”. “Can we design babies to suit our own requirements? Should we do so?”. “Design an advertising campaign to teach people about nuclear power”. Knowledge is no longer enough and understanding and application are now key. I think this is much harder! But also far more engaging.

I am horrified when I hear of schools deciding to “ditch the technology and go back to pen and paper”. Why would we cut the students off from the vast selection of experiences and opportunities that the modern world offers? How can we shut our eyes and pretend that this enormous richness does not exist? Much better for us to help them learn to manage the distractions and sift through the huge and complicated piles of data and in the process learn some important skills that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives. And let’s face it – would we be willing to give up our mobile phones and go back to land lines … and note pads … and alarm clocks … and World Book Encyclopaedia.

High School Sport

Kirsty Reed – PDHPE Teacher and Sport Co-ordinator

High School EActive Program

This year the High School EActive program has been a huge success with more activities and participants than ever. Students have engaged in a variety of team sports, recreational activities and fitness options that have improved their fitness, skill, coordination and overall wellbeing.

In 2017 the program will continue to provide all students with the opportunity to select fitness options of their choice. The program for Term 1 2017 will be released in the first week of term and I look forward to another great year of EActive.

New Sporting Initiative- Sydney Schools Cup!

This year I have been working with several other schools on the development of a new interschool sport competition, the New South Wales Sydney Schools Cup. Next year Emanuel School will be part of this exciting new competition along with Moriah College, Kesser Torah College, International Grammar School and St Andrew’s Cathedral School. This competition will be held each Tuesday afternoon and will be open to all Year 7 and 8 students in 2017. More information will be released at the beginning of next year.

Maccabi Swimathon

Maccabi MS Swim-a-thon

Each year Maccabi Swimming convenes the MS Maccabi National Swim-a-thon. This event is a 12-hour team relay which aims to raise funds for people living with multiple sclerosis and supports Maccabi Australia. Since entering a team for the first time last year, Emanuel School again contributed to this worthwhile cause.

The Swim-a-thon took place last Sunday with an early 7 am start. It was a fantastic day with Emanuel really shinning in all aspects. In total the team of swimmers swam over 45km and have so far raised an amazing $3117.

Jared Elbourne was the team captain and led his team by example, raising $1295 and swimming many kilometres.

Mazal tov to Simone Rappoport, Jake Hyman, Jacob Rose, Jade Berson, Jemima Firestone-Greville, Erin Nabarro, Paris Freed, Dylan Christie, Jemma Salamon, Jamie Orleow, Milla Kern and Mia Shapiro for taking part in this wonderful event.

Congratulations to Jared Elbourne and Gabriella Goodridge for the excellent leadership that they displayed in the build up to the day and promoting the event to the school community. Staff members Heath Morley, Adam Ezekiel, Charlie McAskill and Claire Pech all put in an amazing effort, swimming in the team and assisting on the day.

It was good to see so many Emanuel parents and family members supporting this great cause by encouraging our swimmers, counting laps and keeping our team well hydrated. I would like to give a special thank you to the Goodridge family for supporting our swimmers all day and Bronwyn Elbourne for all of her work organising the Emanuel team.

We look forward to an even bigger Emanuel team in 2017 when we do it again.

Kristy Reed

Sport Co-ordinator and PDHPE Teacher

Beach Touch Football

Sharon Fairfax

Beach Touch Football

Last Wednesday Emanuel School entered 7 teams in the annual Beach Touch Football event held at Maroubra Beach.

The three-in-attack and two-in-defense format makes this game incredibly fast with many quick turn arounds. Running in the sand really tests the students’ athleticism and agility.

The day is always a highlight in the sporting calendar, with the competition including a broad array of schools including Kambala, Freshwater, St Leos College, Marsden High, Maitland High, Randwick High and Sylvania High.

The best on the day was Heath Morleys’ team, who were narrowly edged out by Sylvania in an extremely tight match 6-7. The best players on the day were Oskar Beck and Jake Hyman. 

Sharon Fairfax – PDHPE Assistant

Kol Szenes

This week in Szenes House

House assembly

This week Szenes, Rashi and Rabin joined together for an incredibly fun and exciting Inter-House karaoke competition to end the term and 2016 off with a loud bang! The participation levels over all three Houses were amazing, creating an entertaining morning for everyone.

 Farewell

• Ms Nickcole McGlinn, our Year 9 Tutor, is leaving Emanuel School at the end of the year. We wish her every success and happiness on her move interstate. We have valued Ms McGlinn’s contribution to Szenes House over the past 3 years, and her dedication and enthusiasm to all things Szenes. She will be sadly missed by not only her Tutor Group but also Szenes House.
• Aviva Weisner (7) joined us for the semester but will be returning to the US at the end of the year. We thank her for her positive contribution to Szenes House and wish her every happiness in the future.

Mazal tov to

• Beau Glass (8) who wrote this week’s D’Var Torah. This week’s Torah portion was Vayetze. Beau spoke about the story of Jacob and how it related to school life, in the sense of students being determined and motivated to achieve their goals, or to overcome challenges, which they may be presented with.
• Our Szenesians who were involved in the MS Swim-a-thon fundraising event: Paris Freed (12), Jake Hyman (9), Erin Nabarro (9), Milla Kern (9), Jacob Rose (7), Ms Reed (Year 8 Tutor) and Mr Ezekiel (Year 9 Tutor).
• The team of 4 students who won the HICES Hard Core Mathematics Day, which tested the students’ mathematical skills. Special mention to Szenesians Jessica Lowy (7), Beau Glass (8) and Sasha Baskin (8). They beat 26 other schools in the competition!
• Oskar Beck (9) who was awarded a certificate during the High School Assembly for achieving 6^th place in the CIS Javelin event.
• Year 9 students who attended the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award qualifying camp. We hope that they found the experience rewarding.

Important dates for term 1, 2017

• Summer uniforms and hats to the ready for the start of Term 1
• Year 7, 2017 Orientation Day will be held on Monday 30 January
• The rest of High School will start the Term on Tuesday 31 January
• Dylan Kramer, our Szenes House Sport Captain is looking forward to Term 1, 2017. He said: “Get ready for the Swimming Carnival!” Lock in Friday 3 March, Week 5 for this.

End of year quotation

“Rest and be thankful.” — William Wordsworth

To everyone in Szenes House, relax and enjoy the summer holidays.

Szenes House

Rabin Bugle

Summer is here! Sun-filled weeks of vacation are just a few days away and what a year it has been with lots of memories to cherish. The House spirit at Inter-House competitions, carnivals, assemblies and camps has been amazing. Our House has flourished and our 2 sets of House Captains – Jacob Riesel and Jamie Latham in Terms 1 and 2, and Gabriel Kichkin and Erin Radomsky in Terms 3 and 4 – have led by example and kept us all engaged. They have together with Martin Rembson and our great team of Tutors made 2016 a truly special year.

Jacob Riesel and Jamie Lathan – House Captains 2015-2016

Gabriel Kichkin and Erin Radomsky – House Captains 2016-2017

Every Year Group has their own fond and special memories – Years 7 and 8 took on Camp ‘Survivor’ at Somerset, Year 9 skied down the slopes at Thredbo and Year 10 students are currently visiting Israel. Wow! Our senior students in Years 11 and 12 have taken on HSC studies and a range of leadership roles within our school and community. We have seen many new initiatives and everyone is excited about what the next year will bring.

House assemblies

House assemblies have been filled with activity over the last two weeks. Richard Yavits planned and led, together with our House Captains, a fun-filled and sporty assembly. Rabinites across the Year Groups took on balloon run challenges and enjoyed a round of benchball. Rabin House commends Richard for his passion for sport and for ensuring everyone enjoyed the event. This week all Houses combined for Inter-House karaoke. Rabin certainly ‘got talent’ and it was wonderful to see so many of you get up on stage and give it your best!

The world around us

Ricky Blank, Year 12 Rabin, gave a fine speech at this week’s whole school assembly. He stressed the importance of listening to news from different sources and to not rely on promoted stories, Facebook and Buzzed – an interesting topic and very relevant after recent elections in the US. Well done Ricky.

Danielle Rutstein – Year 8

Sport news

It was great to see so many Rabinites to participating in the Swim-a-thon. The Emanuel group put in a tremendous effort and swam close to 45 kilometres. Congratulations also to Danielle Rutstein who has qualified to compete in the upcoming Maccabiah Games. Danielle will be competing in the high and long jump and be part of the relay team.

Have a great summer Rabinites! Enjoy the sun and surf and spending time with family and friends.

Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

It’s hard to believe we are at the end of the year. What a busy and exciting year we have had with so many special moments, so much learning and development of skills in all areas – socially, emotionally, physically, spiritually and intellectually.

We have watched the children grow and mature and develop strong relationships with both their peers and teachers. We know that the children are ready to take on new challenges next year, whether it’s going to Year K or moving up to be a Starfish or Dolphin. We look forward to 2017 and sharing another year together.

The concerts this week were another way to bring closure to the year, as well as to highlight how far the children have grown in confidence and maturity. They were all so excited to perform for their parents and we hope they made you all so proud.

At this time of the year it is important to thank so many people who have contributed to our program in so many different and positive ways.

Firstly, to Morah Anna, our amazing Hebrew teacher, a big thank you for your enthusiastic, interactive and fun Hebrew classes this year. The children loved seeing you and have learnt so much from you this year. Todah rabah and have a happy holiday.

To our lovely music teacher Susan Longney – thank you for your patience and for teaching us so many wonderful songs this year. We have loved our lessons with you.

Esti Lipson, thank you for your calm and friendly manner in which you always complete any photocopy task so effortlessly and capably.

Deborah Beder and Gail MacKenzie – thank you for your collaboration and efficient manner in which you process enrolments for the Pre-school.

Thank you to our Year 2 buddies and their teachers for reading to us each week.

Many thanks to Ginnette Cameron-Gardner and all her staff from the Primary School library for welcoming the Kornmehl children and families into the library. They have loved their visits each fortnight and we look forward to continuing with these visits next year.

Thank you to Tammy, Coach Al and Coach Terry from Playball for another incredible year. The children’s gross-motor and ball skills have improved so much and along the way. They have had a lot of fun and learnt many other important skills such as following instructions and listening. 

Many thanks to the Maintenance team of Andrew Delany, Peter Cummins, Santiago Alfaro, Simon Hamilton and Joshua Livingstone for their ability to get every job done so quickly and always with a smile. We really appreciate everything you do for us at Kornmehl.

Our thanks must also go to the IT department – Zoran Taleski, Nathanael Clarke and Jackson Lee – for constantly running up and down the hill to make sure our IT glitches are sorted out in good time. You all do an amazing job behind the scenes and we are very grateful for your expertise and support.

We must also thank Tom and his team from security, Greg, Max and Peter, who make sure we are kept safe and sound every single day. 

A big thank you to all our amazing Kornmehl staff, who have worked with complete commitment and dedication throughout the year, to make 2016 such an amazing year of learning and discovery for all the children. Your expertise, knowledge and experience are valued by us all.

Channukah

We have been learning about the Channukah story, the symbols and traditions. We have created beautiful art works of channukiot and dreidels. We have been singing and learning lots of Channukah songs and will be eating yummy latkes next week. What a joy it is to celebrate this beautiful and fun festival together.

Visit to University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

The Starfish were very lucky to be able to visit the Magic Lab at the UTS campus in Ultimo, the research laboratory Steve Wozniak (co-Founder of Apple) works in. We met Robot PR2 which is the only robot of its kind in the southern hemisphere. The children used the remote controls to make the robot called Gutsy move and respond. Gutsy also gave some of us a hug and told us he loves us.

We also went into the UTS Data Arena and saw a 3D movie, From Sydney to Space.  Data Arena is the only place of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Many thanks to Shoshana Fogelman (Mimi Blumenstein’s mother) for organising this fabulous excursion for us.

Shabbat and Bush School

On Friday we celebrated Shabbat at Bush School with all our Kornmehl families. It was very meaningful to celebrate our last Shabbat for the year all together at our favourite spot at Centennial Park.

Happy Birthday

We wish a very happy birthday to Micah Pozniak (4), Ella and Lola Cohen-Peace (5), Aviv Smily (4), Tali Strous (4), David Lazarus (4), Jemima Hockley (5), Zoe Lyons (5) and Noam Mermelshtayn (5). We hope you all have a special birthday.

We wish all our Dolphins and Starfish moving on to Year K next year much success and happiness as they embark on the next leg of their educational journey. We hope you will all still come and visit us in the years to come.

We wish all our Kornmehl families a peaceful, safe and restful holiday.

We look forward to welcoming you all back on Tuesday 31 January 2017.

Gesher – Community Connections

Sonia Newell – Development Officer

Third annual student vs alumni sport challenge 

High School Sports Madricha, Amy Altman, organised the student teams for our third annual student vs alumni sports challenge, held at lunchtime on Tuesday. In preparation for this event, Amy liaised closely with alumnus Sarah Beder (Class of 2015) who organised the alumni teams. It was wonderful to see girls involved this year for the first time, introducing a new sport to this challenge with a mixed netball team.

The inaugural event in 2014 saw the alumni futsal team beat the student team 8-7, whilst last year the score was 5-5 with the student futsal team winning on penalties. The competition was fierce, with the student team out to beat the alumni team again.

From Amy: “Lunchtime brought an excited bunch of students and alumni down to the MPH and basketball courts. Two friendly games – futsal and netball – kicked off with music playing in the background, in an air conditioned MPH and on a sunny basketball court. An exciting game of futsal saw our student team winning 9-5, whilst a more relaxed netball game continued without a winner emerging. The day was an all-round success and I can proudly say that we all ‘had a ball!'” 

Sarah: “Alumni from the Class of 2015 and 2016 took part in this third sports challenge. It was an enjoyable return to the school for the alumni, especially as the games finished just before the rain. This year for the first time, there were two alumni teams, one playing netball and the other indoor soccer, alongside and against current students from a range of year groups. We hope to field an all-alum netball team next year and might even manage to beat the student team in futsal!”

Both futsal teams

Student and alumni netball teams

Save the Date – Jazz on the Hill -Sunday 26 March 2017 from 2 pm – 5 pm 

Gesher wishes our very special Emanuel community a safe and happy summer break. We look forward to keeping our community connected in 2017 and beyond.

Sonia Newell, Development Officer

Jazz on the Hill – Save the Date

Scholarships 2018

From the Careers Advisor

Claire Pech – Careers Adviser

ATAR and university entry

At this time of year graduating students are faced with the exciting and daunting prospect of awaiting the release of their ATAR and the publication of their university offers.  Though we have some strong indication throughout the senior years of how each student may perform at HSC, we can’t ever predict a student’s ATAR.  For that reason, in considering post-School options, each student needs to be as prepared as he or she can be for a range of possibilities.

So what can we do to arm ourselves and get as prepared as we can?

(1) Have a variety of options for a variety of results. For example if someone comes to see me interested in Commerce/Business, we look at a few options:-

• Commerce at UNSW – 96.5
• Business at University of Sydney – 95
• Business at UTS – 90
• Commerce at Macquarie University – 80
• And then I would look at some back-up options such as Canberra, Newcastle, Western Sydney.

(2) Doing thorough research is essential. What are the core modules? Does the university offer overseas exchanges or internships? 

As this is the last Ma Nishma for the year, I wish all of the leaving Year 12s the best of luck with their HSC results. Remember the ATAR is simply a vehicle to get into your desired course. There are many ways to get to your required destination, which may just take a bit longer with a slight detour. I will be at school on the morning of Monday 19 December from 10 am if anyone would like to discuss their preferences with me.

Notices

Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 interested in medicine or dentistry will need to sit the compulsory Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) when applying for one of these career choices. The National Institute of Education will be conducting UMAT preparation workshops during summer break. Places are strictly limited. Details are available via www.nie.edu.au

Six things to consider when choosing a university

Swinbourne University

Below is a link from Swinburne University where you will find information on what you may like to consider when you’re choosing a university. As change of preference approaches, some of these tips might be useful.

http://knowing.swinburne.edu.au/post/151778686199/6-things-to-consider-when-choosing-a-university

Macquarie University

Macquarie University’s information about academic entry into the University courses based on HSC results is a useful read. 

www.mq.edu.au/study/high-school-students/getting-into-university/entry-schemes-and-pathways/academic-entry-program

My Big Tomorrow

This is an informative site, especially for students in ‘explore’ mode. www.mybigtomorrow.com.au/

Choosing a university

This article will help you with the dilemma of choosing the right University for you. 

http://knowing.swinburne.edu.au/post/151778686199/6-things-to-consider-when-choosing-a-university

From the Parents and Friends

Susie Rosen and Sharon Schulz

It is with mixed emotions that we write our final Ma Nishma.